Guy mckay



G. McKAY.

LUBRICATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. II. I916,

l 1 9%,65 O Patented Aug. 15 1916.

. I 3 K M *2 my Q\ kw I INVENTOR ATTORNEY TED TATE PATEN @Fhlfilil.

GUY MCKAY, OF LONGVIEW, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO GRAPHITE LUBRICATOR COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

LUBRICATING DEVICE.

Application filed February 11, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUY MGKAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Longview, in the county of Gregg and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lubricating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to lubricating devices and particularly to devices for positively feeding dry lubricants such as flake graphite and. the like through the intake manifold to the cylinders of an internal combustion engine or other similar device.

One object of my invention is to provide a valve device for a lubricator of the above indicated character that is adapted to be normally opened and to have a positive means for feeding the lubricant through the manifold to the cylinders.

Another object of my invention is to provide a lubricator of the above indicated character that is cheap to construct yet simple and efiicient in operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a lubricator that shall be positively actuated in accordance with relatively small changes in pressure in the manifold to which it is connected.

A further object of my invention is to provide a lubricator having a normally balanccd valve that is so mounted that it is adapted to vibrate upon the application of a relatively small pressure.

Numerous attempts have been made to lubricate the cylinders of an engine by causing the change in pressure of a fluid in the cylinders to actuate valve devices. However, when such devices are applied to the intake manifold of engines for lubricating the cylinders, the change in pressure be tween the various intakes of explosive charges, especially in poly-cylinder fourcycle internal-combustion engines, is so small that insufficient force is available to actuate the valve which is normally retained in its closed position. In order to overcome the aforesaid difiiculty, I provide a valve that is normally held in its open position by a resilient member, and is so balanced that it will start to vibrate upon a difference in pressure of a relatively small value. Since it requires a relatively small force to maintain a spring in vibration when it is once started, the valve will vibrate, and, consequently, graphite will be regularly and unispecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

Serial No. 77,630.

formly fed through the manifold to the cylinders.

The single figure of the accompanying drawmg is a view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of a lubricator adapted to be connected to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine.

A six-cylinder four-cycle internal combustion engine 1 is provided with an intake manifold 2, a carbureter 3 and a lubricating device 4 that is inserted in a conduit or pipe 5 between the carbureter 3 and the manifold 2, or it may be connected directly in the manifold itself.

The lubricating device 4. comprises a casing 6 that is adapted to contain a dry-flaked lubricating material 7 such as graphite or other similar substances. A cap 8 is adapted to be screwed into the upper end of the easing 6 and a hollow stem 9 is adapted to be screwed into the lower portion of the casing 6 and to extend a considerable distance therein. The lower portion 10 of the hollow stem 9 is adapted to be secured to the conduit or pipe 5, substantially as shown in the drawing, or it may be secured directly to the manifold as desired. A longitudinal passageway or opening 11 is provided in the lower portion of the stem 9 and is adapted to normally communicate with lateral passageways 12 that extend from the interior portion 13 of the stem 9 to the interior of the casing 6. A valve or piston 14 is disposed within the casing 9 and is normally supported in such position by a spring 15 that the passageways 11 and 12 are intercommunicatmg. An adpustable screw 16 is provided for the upper portion of the stem 9 for limiting the extent of travel of the piston 14 or the rate of feed of the lubricant,

and it is provided with a lock nut 17 for securing it in any desired position.

Since the passageway 12 is lateral with respect to the axis of the passageway 11, the graphite 7 will ordinarily not pass into the conduit 5, unless a suction is applied thereto or a fluid circulates therethrough.

, Therefore, when the engine 1 is not operating, the graphite will not be fed through the manifold to it. However, when the air and the gasole'ne are mixed in the carbureter 3 'and supplied to the engine 1, the pressure in the conduit 5 will decrease from atmospheric pressure sufliciently to create a partial vacuum, and, consequently, some of no the gra 'ihite will be sucked into the manifold 2. This suction action will tend to move the valve 14 downwardly to compress the spring 15. But, as soon as the explosive charge is out off by the valves (not shown) of the engine, the pressure in the conduit 5 will rise again. This will permit the spring 15 to expand and move the valve 1 f upwardly to again render the passageways 11 and 12 intercommunieating. It will be understood that the spring 15 has a natural period of vibration that requires a very small force to set in motion, and, consequently, a change in pressure of a relatively few ounces in the conduit 5 will cause the valve 11 to vib 'ate and alternately render the passageways 11 and 12 communicating and non-communicating. When the explosive mixture enters the conduit 5 some of it will pass through the passageways 11 and 12, and when it re turns to the conduit 5 it will carry graphite with it. Thus, if the valve is opened and closed in accordance with the intake of the mixture, the proper amount of lubricant will be supplied to the cylinders.

Since the weight of the valve 1 1 is carried by the spring 15, it does not require the-application of a large pressure to initially render the passageways 11 and 12 intercommunieating, but to the contrary, a slight change in pressure between the atmosphere and vacuum is all that is required to vibrate it.

The advantage of providing a device that requires only a small change in pressure to operate will be seen when it is understood that the charges of poly-cylinder internal combustion engines overlap each other and cause the pressure in the manifold to vary only a relatively small amount.

While I have shown my invention in its preferred form it will be understood that it is not so limited, but is adapted to various modifications as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A lubricating device for the cylinders of an internal combustion engine comprising a reservoir for containing a flaked lubricant, a hollow stem within the reservoir having an opening extending into the intake manifold of the engine and a lateral opening extending into the reservoir, and a normally opened resiliently mounted plunger adapted to alternately open and close the lateral opening in accordance with the pressurein the manifold.

2. A lubricating device comprising a reservoir for containing a lubricant, a hollow stem within thereservoir having a feeding port, amovable member disposed within the stem and adapted to normally maintain the port partially open, and means for causing the movable member to vibrate to successively close and open the port when it is subjected to relatively small changes in pressure.

3. A lubricating device for the cylinders of an engine comprising a casing, a hollow stem extending into the casing, an opening extending from the hollow stem into the intake manifold of the engine, a lateral opening from the casing to the interior of the hollow stem, a plunger loosely fitted within the hollow stem and means for yieldingly holding the plunger in such position that the lateral opening is normally open.

l. The combination with a dry lubricant container, a hollow stem having a passage way therein, of a movable member disposed within the stem and adapted to normally maintain the passageway open, and means for causing the movable member to vibrate in accordance with relatively small changes in pressure.

5. The combination with a dry lubricant container, a hollow stem therein having a feeding port, of a movable member disposed within the stem and adapted to normally maintain the port in its open position, and means for causing the movable member to positively vibrate when it is subjected to relatively small changes in pressure.

6. A lubricator adapted to be connected to the manifold of an engine comprising a dry flaked lubricant container, a hollow stem having feeding ducts, means normally so disposed as to render the ducts open and means for yieldingly resisting the closing movement of the said means when an ex plosive charge is admitted to the engine.

7. A dry graphite lubricator comprising a container, a valve device having a duct that is adapted to be normally open and means for yieldingly opposing the closing of the duct when the device is subjected to a partial vacuum.

8. A dry graphite lubricator comprising a containing receptacle, a normally open valve device, and means for yieldingly op posing the closing of the valve device.

9. In a lubricator that is adapted to be connected to the intake manifold of an engine, the combination with a graphite containing receptacle, of a normally opened valve device therefor, and means for increasing the vibrations of the movable member of the valve device.

10. A lubricator adapted to be connected to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine comprising a dry lubricant container, a hollow stem having an opening therein extending to the interior of the container, a valve disposed within the stem and adapted to close the opening when an explosive mixture is admitted to the engine and to uncover the opening immediately thereafter.

11. A lubricator for an internal combustion engine comprising a dry lubricant container, a hollow stem having a feeding port therein extending to the interior of the container, a valve disposed within the stem, and a resilient member for so holding the valve that the opening is normally unrestricted, said valve being adapted to control the amount of lubricant to be fed to the engine.

12. A lubricator for an internal combustion engine comprising a dry lubricant container, a hollow stem having an opening therein extending to the interior of the container, a valve disposed within the stem, and a spring for so holding the valve that the opening is normally unrestricted, said valve being adapted to control the amount of lubricant fed to the engine.

13. A lubricator for the cylinders of an internal combustion engine comprising a casing adapted to contain a dry lubricant, a hollow stem extending into the casing, a vertically-movable valve head loosely fitted within the stem, said stem having a longitudinal passageway to the intake manifold of the engine, and a lateral passageway into the casing, and a spring for normally yieldingly so holding the valve head that the passageways are intercommunicating.

1-1. A lubricator adapted to be connected to the manifold of an internal combustion engine comprising a casing adapted to contain a dry lubricant, a hollow -stem extending into the casing, a vertically-movable valve head loosely fitted within the stem, said stem having a longitudinal passageway to the manifold, and a lateral passageway into the casing, and means for normally so yieldingly holding the valve head that the passageways are rendered intercommunieating.

15. A lubricator comprising a container, a valve device having a duct that is adapted to be normally partially open and means for yieldingly opposing the closing of the duct.

16. A lubricator comprising a container, a normally partially open valve device and means for yieldingly opposing the closing of the valve device.

17. A lubricator comprising a container, a normally partially open valve device and means for yieldingly opposing the complete opening and closing of the valve device.

18. A lubricator comprising a lubricant container, a normally partially opened valve device therefor, and means for so increasing the movement of the movable member of the valve device that it will alternately occupy its completely open and closed positions.

19. A lubricator comprising a lubricant container, a normally partially opened valve 'device therefor, and means for so lncreasing the movement of the movable member of the valve device that it will alternately occupy its completely open and closed positions when subjected to small changes in pressure.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 5th day of Feb, 1.916.

GUY McKAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). G. 

